outage

American  

[ou-tij] / ˈaʊ tɪdʒ /

noun

1. an interruption or failure in the supply of power, especially electricity.

2. the period during which power is lost.

   a two-hour outage on the East Coast.

3. a stoppage in the functioning of a machine or mechanism due to a failure in the supply of power or electricity.

4. the quantity of goods lost or lacking from a shipment.

5. Aeronautics. the amount of fuel used during a flight.

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outage British  

/ ˈaʊtɪdʒ /

noun

1. a quantity of goods missing or lost after storage or shipment

2. a period of power failure, machine stoppage, etc

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Etymology

Origin of outage

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05; out + -age

Example Sentences

Ford took a $2 billion hit last year after two fires at a Novelis-owned aluminum plant in upstate New York triggered outages that lasted for months.

From The Wall Street Journal

“What matters now is not only the volume lost, but the precedent set. Once critical Gulf energy infrastructure is seen as vulnerable, buyers will price that risk for longer than the initial outage itself.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“If this refinery sees a major multi-week outage, that would certainly be bad news for the refinery and for global prices,” De Haan said.

From Barron's

“If this refinery sees a major multi-week outage, that would certainly be bad news for the refinery and for global prices,” De Haan said.

From Barron's

In Kuwait, power lines were hit by air defense shrapnel, causing partial electricity outages for several hours.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blackout
• brownout
• disruption
• interruption